Wrath of Lovers
by petchic101
Summary: Hawke runs Kirkwall underground after her arrival, quickly rising in the underground she gains a favor from a notorious merchant's guild dwarf, in a large plan to get her and her family out of poverty. She meets many lovers and a family that sicks with her threw everything. But the dwarf she conned becomes her closest friend, and he doesn't even remember her face. Varric X Hawke
Varric sat at the Hanged Man as drunken humans collapsed around him, he simply smiled and kept drinking his spirits. "Who's next?" he smirked and raised his mug. No one had ever defeated the dwarf in a drinking contest and no one ever would. This was his home, and no one was going to beat him on his own turf. Suddenly the door opened, a cloaked figure walked through. Everyone in the room scattered away from the figure as they glided across the floor. A large decorated cane was in their hand, _Maybe a family heirloom, or a trophy?_ Varric thought, a little tipsy from the mead.

"T-that's Red Lotus, Athenril's right hand!" A scared stranger loudly whispered to the barkeep. The figure stood up straight and smiled, their eyes hidden under the shadow of their hood, a shrill laugh exuded from them.

"That's a bit of an exaggeration." The figure waved their hand, as if shoo-ing the very thought of being that close to one of the biggest smuggling guilds in Kirkwall. "I merely owe her a favor, no need to make a big deal out of my presence. I simply heard that everyone in Kirkwall was challenging one of the great dwarfs of the merchant's guild. And I just had to see it for myself." The cloaked figure smirked looking around the room, pointing themselves at Varric. "My my, you must be him." Their voice sounded threatening. "I bet one hundred gold I could beat you. My mother could use a new necklace." Varric's eyes narrowed, the figure was blurry to him but he simply nodded harshly and smiled.

"You're on!" he motioned for another round of spirits as the figure sat down across from him. The crowd started to grow less anxious and more excited as the cheering and bets ran across the room like wildfire. "Why don't you show me your face, since I have myself out here to bear." Varric smirked gripping the handle of his newly full mug."

"Well you should have thought of that, a game of strip poker could have easily been arranged, but I don't mind revealing a little bit of myself." The figure reached towards her neck and trace their fingers down unbuttoning a few buttons of their cloak, but their face still remained hooded.

Varric smiled as all the mens' jaws dropped. "So a human girl?" Varric was practically aglow. "This will definitely make things interesting! I thought maybe you just had a feminine voice." He shrugged and offered his mug up as a good gesture. "To the victor." he laughed mumbling "And next time I will remember to offer strip poker on the table."

The Red Lotus smiled. "To the victor." She clanged her mug against his. "And perhaps that can still be arranged..." She smirked. "If you're still standing."

"Well since I missed that opportunity." He smiled setting his mug down and leaning forward. "How about we raise the stakes?"

She grinned like a wolf about to catch it's meal. "I thought you'd never ask Dwarf." She leaned back crossing her legs. "How about, you owe the Red Lotus..." She paused for dramatic effect licking her lips. "One favor, to be asked for at anytime in the future."

Varric scowled but quickly regained his composure letting out a small chuckle. "It seems you think of me as more than I am miss lotus, what favor could one lonesome dwarf do for the likes of someone so powerful, such as yourself?"

"That would be a fair question if you were just one, lonesome, dwarf." She ran her finger along the rim of her mug., smirking "And if you win?"

"I want you to show your face to the members of this fine establishment!." He raised his hand gesturing at the small crowd that had gathered around them.

She nodded agreeing to his terms and offered her hand. His large palm overtook hers instantly, but he noticed they were not so delicate as they seemed.

And with that the match began! Drink after drink practically fell down the competitors throats as the crowd drunkenly cheered and sang songs of heroes past in a horribly off key chorus.

Varric was starting to feel dizzy as the minutes passed, _was this girl actually keeping up with him?_ His chest was on fire, along with his throat, the whole world felt like it was spinning. "Well Shit." he leaned back and forth dropping his mug. As he leaned closer he noticed steam coming from the Red Lotus's mug, she lifted her face, the soft smoke flowing off her lips, lining a mischievous smile. _A dragon?_ His eyes closed as he fell face flat on the table.

The crowd fell silent. Red Lotus stood up, not slightly wobbly. "That was fun!" She smiled and patted Varric on the shoulder. "I'll take him upstairs, pity, I've never seen a dwarf not able to hold their liquor." The crowd stood silently, mouths agape, as she swiftly threw the dwarf over her shoulders like a lamb. Little had been heard about the Red Lotus, well, little fact, and this would not be the last story told of her.

She plopped him into, what she assumed, was his bed. "Sweet dreams." She started to head out, buttoning her cloak, but a long painful groan came from the dwarf's mouth. She hadn't laid him down in the most comfortable position. She sighed closing the curtain and removed her hood. "The little man is heavier than he seems." She grumbled under her breath. She moved him one limb at a time until he was laying straight back a soft snore escaping his lips. She rolled her eyes. "Fine." She started to remove his boots, pulling so hard on one she almost fell to the floor at it's removal. She decided to leave his pants but took off his jewelry, coat, and finally his tunic.

 _Oh there's his beard._ She glanced down at his chest. _Maybe just a touch_ , She placed her hand on his chest. It was hard, he was surprisingly buff for such a short torso, but he wasn't all muscle...

A hand grabbed her wrist and she launched back throwing her hood back on, her "family heirloom" was knocked to the ground letting out a magical surge that scorched his wall. "Don't you know to treat a dwarf to dinner first?" His words stumbled as surely as his feet would if he were walking. His eyes blurred as his fireplace lit up the room, no one was there. "Imaginations are a crazy thing." He snorted and fell asleep.

Red Lotus stood in his hall panting. "I hope you keep your promise dwarf." She whispered holding a pack of gold she may or may not have liberated from his coat.


End file.
